End of Play

Ready to embark on a fearless creative journey? End of Play.® starts April 1, 2024!

 

What is End of Play.®?

 

Register today and join us in celebrating the art and craft of writing for the theatre. End of Play.® is an annual initiative crafted by the Dramatists Guild to ignite the creation and completion of new stage works in just 30 days. End of Play.® is not a race to the finish; it's a courageous journey undertaken by writers unafraid to immerse themselves fully in the creative process.

Since its debut in 2019, our global movement has brought together thousands of participants, fostering connections and triumphs over the obstacles that often hinder the birth of fresh theatrical work.

Writers from every corner of the globe gather not just to set goals but to share dreams, aspirations, and the raw essence of their craft. As writers embark on their personal journeys within the End of Play.® month, goals become more than mere milestones—they are declarations of passion, commitment, and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of storytelling. A full-length play, two one-acts, a refined draft—each endeavor is a brushstroke in the grand mural of creativity. Join the movement; let your process take center stage.

 

How Do I Participate?

 

End of Play.® is open to both members and non-members of the Dramatists Guild. Writers of all backgrounds are encouraged to participate, and prior writing experience is not necessary. The next round of End of Play.® starts April 1, 2024. (Pens up on April 1; pens down at the end of the day on April 30!)

  • February 29: Deadline To Register As An Event Coordinator
  • March 29: Deadline To Register As A Participant.
  • April 1: End of Play® National Kick Off & Write Fast Event

Want to get more involved? Take your End of Play.® experience one step further, and become a Volunteer Event Coordinator. Plan a kick-off party, a silent writing session, or another event of your choice for your End of Play.® community!

Want to find out more about bringing the End of Play.® challenge to your theater, arts organization, educational institution, or other community hub? Check out our brand new participation guide, or email endofplay@dramatistsguild.com to find out more or express interest.

Fostering an artistic community is more important than ever before. Once you've signed up to participate in the End of Play.® writing challenge, help us spread the word! Share that you'll be doing End of Play.®  on social media, using #EndOfPlay and in our online groups. Maybe you can even inspire a friend or two to join you on your End of Play.® journey! 

Any questions can be directed to endofplay@dramatistsguild.com

 

Tips for Participating in End of Play.®

 

Considering joining End of Play.®? If you have a new play or musical brewing in your mind, End of Play.® is the perfect time to start working on your draft.  Here are some tips to consider between now and “Pens Up!” on April 1 to help you make the most of your End of Play.® writing experience.

1. Plan an achievable writing goal. Only you know the full extent of your time, availability, and resources. Perhaps you'd like to spend the month creating a draft of a new full length play (or two one-act plays), or composing a fully notated new song, or revising an existing draft of your play or musical. Maybe you'll only have time to draft the first act of your play or to sketch out the melody for your song. That's great too. No goal is too lofty or too small for your End of Play.® month of writing. 

2. Know what you would like to write about. It's always helpful to have an overarching theme to explore or a question to keep in mind when you embark upon a new project. If you're stuck, find a friend with whom to trade writing prompts and exercises that will help spark your creativity. Or, you could read through some online issues of The Dramatist Magazine to get your creative juices flowing.

3. Set yourself up for success by proactively protecting your work. The business side of writing can seem daunting and distant when you're just beginning a new project, but it's always good to think about the future of your work. If you're planning to write your play, musical, or song with a collaborator, be sure to check out the Dramatists Guild collaboration agreements for plays and for musicals.

4. Get to know the world of your play. If it’s helpful, begin the outlining process, or do some character development exercises, so that you are familiar with your plot and protagonist before you dive into End of Play.® month.

5. Find your optimal writing spot. Do you enjoy curling up with a pen and a notebook under a leafy tree? Are you most excited to write when you're poring over your laptop in the midst of a bustling cafe? Perhaps you gravitate towards the familiar surroundings of home when you want to really focus on your writing projects? Choose a comfortable writing place, or several comfortable writing places, where you know that you'll be able to do your best work.

6. Don't forget about self care. We encourage you to get some nice writing equipment, some delicious snacks for your writing breaks, and maybe a stress ball to squeeze when your hand cramps up from all that writing. Treat yourself to whatever will relax you as you take on this writing challenge. You deserve it!

7. Keep yourself accountable. How will you make sure that you stick to your writing goals for the month? Will you reward yourself after you write a certain number of pages each week? Will you make a donation to your favorite charity when you finish your draft? Will you check in with a writing friend to help keep them accountable too? There is no right or wrong way to stay accountable throughout the month. You should do whatever works best for you.

8. Plan to participate in the Guild's End of Play.® events. Check out our National Silent Writing page to see if there is an upcoming session that will work with your schedule. Take a look at our upcoming events page to find regional events are happening near you, and register for any upcoming events that might be of interest!

(Don’t see any events for your area? Consider registering to become an End of Play.® Volunteer Event Coordinator, and organize your own local event.)

9. Keep a positive outlook. Get ready to challenge yourself, bring your writing to new heights, and join in on the fun!

 

Events

 

In addition to our month-long writing challenge, we'll be offering events throughout the month (open to all DG members and End of Play.® participants) to help keep you informed and motivated throughout your End of Play.® writing process.

Registration for EOP events open in March 2024.

 

Online Groups

 

EOP participants and partners are able to access Writers Groups during the month of April. If you are a partner or participant, feel free to click the link below and connect with your fellow writers online. This is a forum in which to chat about your successes and challenges, to prepare for upcoming events, and to share your thoughts about craft, the theatre industry, and writing ideas! Please note that you will not be receiving notifications whenever someone responds to a post; we want to be respectful of how many emails you'll be receiving from us.

Online Groups open in March 2024.

 

Registered Writers for End of Play.® 2023

 

 

 

2023 Page Count

 

2022 Page Count

Total Pages: 4828

 

2021 End of Play.® Page Count

 

  Participating Writers  Daily Page Total Overall Page Total
April 01  108 590 590
April 02 122 546 1136
April 03 121 471 1607
April 04 119 533 2140
April 05 112 480 2620
April 06 180 665 3285
April 07 143 608 3893
April 08 126 483 4376
April 09 115 430 4806
April 10 93 411 5217
April 11 80 281 5498
April 12 92 372 5870
April 13 88 491 6361
April 14 98 365 6726
April 15 76 283 7009
April 16 78 352 7361
April 17 61 291 7652
April 18 67 184 7836
April 19 60 226 8062
April 20 74 343 8405
April 21 85 334 8739
April 22 63 300 9039
April 23 58 226 9265
April 24 59 243 9508
April 25 62 300 9808
April 26 59 294 10102
April 27 59 283 10385
April 28 71 337 10722
April 29 73 629 11351
April 30 135 1205 12556
 

2020 Page Count

 

  Participating Writers  Daily Page Total Overall Page Total
Day 1 156 675 675
Day 2  146 608 1,283
Day 3 122 425 1,708
Day 4 119 640 2,348
Day 5 81 326 2,674
Day 6 70 295 2,969
Day 7 71 357 3,326
Day 8 48 234 3,560
Day 9 60 364 3,924
Day 10 54 265 4,189
Day 11 49 282 4,471
Day 12 43 170 4,641
Day 13 37 321 4,962
Day 14 44 220 5,182
Day 15 41 264 5,446
Day 16 45 305 5,751
Day 17 33 140 5,891
Day 18 38 202 6,093
Day 19 44 227 6,320
Day 20 36 149 6,469
Day 21 42 210 6,679
Day 22 28 186 6,865
Day 23 34 175 7,040
Day 24 30 112 7,152
Day 25 29 145 7,297
Day 26 31 161 7,458
Day 27 25 108 7,566
Day 28 28 129 7,695
Day 29 36 185 7,880
Day 30 31 170 8,050
Day 31 65 389 8,439